This award, created in March 2000 in memory of His Late Majesty Hassan II of Morocco who had a renowned interest in water problems, is aimed to serve as a political tool to stimulate awareness and reflection on water issues. The Prize is to be awarded to an individual, group of individuals, institution or organization in honour of a recent and outstanding achievement in any aspects of water resources such as scientific, technical, environmental, economic, social, institutional, cultural or political. Candidates must be nominated by any water-related organization, with winners decided on by the WWC.
The WWC is an international water policy think tank with a number of objectives such as providing advice and information on water issues, identifying critical water issues and raising awareness about these problems.
The award, which amounts to US$100,000 as well as a trophy and a certificate, is presented every three years in conjunction with the World Water Forum (WWF). The Prize will be presented for the first time at the 2003 WWF, on the theme “co-operation and solidarity in the fields of management and development in water resources.”